Regardless of the form of the ball, players generally seek a golf ball construction that has particular play characteristics of velocity and spin, which match their swing style and club preference. It is well know in the golf ball industry that both initial ball velocity and spin have both been determined to be substantially dependent on the compression of the core. Typically the optimal level of cross-linking of the core material is predetermined and adjusted by the level of cross-linking agent to arrive at the desired core compression. Once players select a ball construction, they want consistent play characteristics between individual balls. Thus, to maintain consistent play performance between individual balls of a particular construction, manufacturers must produce golf balls with very consistent level of core manufacture.
Golf ball cores are typically formed within a compression type mold, which is heated to accelerate the core stock cross-linking reaction. The magnitude of temperature of the mold affects the time rate of cross-linking of the core stock and therefore will affect the length of time the stock must reside in the mold (or cure time) to achieve complete or optimal level of cross-linking. The mold is typically comprised of multiple cavities to facilitate high volume manufacturing and is placed into the mold press in batch quantities. Cavity temperature and compression will vary in different locations within the core mold, for example cavity locations along the outside perimeter will be cooler than the cavity locations in the inner regions of the mold. Therefore, in order to achieve complete cross-linking for all cores in all cavity locations, the cure time must be adjusted for the coolest regions that will have the lowest rate of reaction of the core stock.
Typically, core material is heated and extruded to form an elongated slug which is cut into desired lengths of cylindrical preps and loaded into jigs. A jig allows large numbers of preps to be held in the position and orientation needed in order to be placed properly in a mold, wherein they correspond to the multiple cavities of a mold platen.
Inefficiency, particularly as to loss of heat, is a major drawback of conventional golf ball core forming techniques, in that the preps come from the extruder in a heated form and cool during storage. Another inherent problem is that human errors result in misaligned preps which in turn results in defective cores. In addition, the proximity of human operators to the mold press for prep loading and core unloading limits the temperature of the molds for operator safety.
One disadvantage of the process described above is that the procedure of loading the preps into the jig, such that all the preps are oriented properly, is a time consuming manual process. On occasion, this manual process can result in improper loading of a prep, which can lead to the mold defects described above. In addition, the preps can lose their proper alignment for a number of other reasons. Once loaded, for example, the mold may be moved or jarred so that preps may move before the mold is closed. Removal of the jig also may cause preps to become misaligned.
There is a need to manufacture cores more efficiently, conserving energy costs, increasing production speeds, reducing space requirements, improving quality control, reducing ergonomic issues, and generally making a better core at a lower cost. The present invention provides such a method of making cores.